Jeffrey Epstein
The financier's 2008 plea deal, 2019 arrest and death, the Ghislaine Maxwell case, and the banks and institutions that settled claims afterward.
95 developments, 2006–2026, oldest first.
2006
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Palm Beach police records detail investigation of financier Jeffrey Epstein
Police documents published from the Palm Beach investigation alleged that Epstein paid underage girls for massages at his Florida mansion, following his indictment on a state solicitation charge.
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Harvard says it will keep donation from Jeffrey Epstein after his Florida indictment
Harvard said it would not return a large Epstein gift despite the criminal charge he faced in Palm Beach, a decision that later drew scrutiny.
2008
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Epstein begins jail sentence after state plea deal tied to federal non-prosecution agreement
Epstein began serving an 18-month sentence after pleading guilty to state prostitution-related charges, under an arrangement with federal prosecutors in Miami that spared him federal charges.
2015
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Court filing accuses Ghislaine Maxwell and alleges Prince Andrew links in Epstein case
Filings in a federal Crime Victims' Rights Act case challenging Epstein's plea deal alleged that Maxwell recruited girls and that Prince Andrew was involved; both denied the allegations.
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U.S. Virgin Islands reviews Epstein donations to local students
Virgin Islands officials began reviewing Epstein's donations to young students in the territory amid renewed attention to his abuse allegations.
2018
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Miami Herald series reexamines Epstein's secret 2008 deal and the victims it left behind
The Miami Herald's Perversion of Justice series, with a timeline of the case, detailed how federal prosecutors led by Alexander Acosta negotiated a lenient deal with Epstein and kept victims in the dark.
2019
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Justice Department opens internal probe into handling of Epstein plea deal
The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility opened an investigation into how federal prosecutors in Miami handled the 2008 Epstein non-prosecution agreement.
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Federal judge rules prosecutors broke law by hiding Epstein deal from victims
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra found that federal prosecutors violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act by failing to tell victims about the non-prosecution agreement.
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Jeffrey Epstein arrested on federal sex trafficking charges
Epstein was arrested at a New Jersey airport on federal charges brought in Manhattan accusing him of sex trafficking of minors in New York and Florida.
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Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigns over Epstein plea deal
Acosta, who as U.S. attorney in Miami approved the 2008 Epstein agreement, announced his resignation as labor secretary amid mounting criticism.
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Judge denies Epstein bail in sex trafficking case
A federal judge in Manhattan ordered Epstein held without bail, citing danger to the community and flight risk.
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Les Wexner says Epstein misappropriated vast sums from him
L Brands founder Les Wexner, Epstein's most important financial client, said Epstein had misappropriated large amounts of his family's money and that he had cut ties more than a decade earlier.
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Unsealed court records from Giuffre v. Maxwell detail allegations against Epstein associates
A federal appeals court ordered documents unsealed from Virginia Giuffre's defamation suit against Ghislaine Maxwell, including allegations involving Prince Andrew, which he denied.
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Jeffrey Epstein found dead in federal jail cell
Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan while awaiting trial, prompting federal investigations into the jail.
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Accuser sues Epstein estate and staff in New York
An accuser filed suit against Epstein's estate and members of his household staff as New York's Child Victims Act look-back window opened.
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Medical examiner rules Epstein's death a suicide
New York City's chief medical examiner ruled that Epstein died by suicide by hanging; his lawyers disputed the finding.
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MIT president acknowledges Epstein donations to the institute
MIT President L. Rafael Reif disclosed that the institute had accepted donations from Epstein and announced it would direct an equivalent sum to charity for survivors.
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Criminal case against Epstein formally dismissed after his death
A federal judge dismissed the sex trafficking indictment after Epstein's death, following a hearing where dozens of accusers addressed the court.
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MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito resigns over Epstein ties
Joi Ito resigned as director of the MIT Media Lab after reporting showed the lab had sought to conceal its financial relationship with Epstein.
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Jail guards on duty when Epstein died charged with falsifying records
Two Metropolitan Correctional Center guards were charged with falsifying records to cover up that they failed to check on Epstein the night he died.
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Prince Andrew steps back from royal duties over Epstein ties
Prince Andrew announced he would step back from public duties after a widely criticized BBC interview about his friendship with Epstein.
2020
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Harvard report details Epstein gifts and campus access
A Harvard review found Epstein gave the university millions before his 2008 conviction and continued visiting campus afterward, and the university announced related sanctions and policy changes.
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Ghislaine Maxwell arrested on federal charges tied to Epstein
FBI agents arrested Maxwell in New Hampshire on charges that she helped recruit and groom minors for Epstein in the 1990s.
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New York regulator fines Deutsche Bank $150 million over Epstein relationship
New York's financial regulator imposed a $150 million penalty on Deutsche Bank, citing compliance failures including its handling of Epstein's accounts.
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Ghislaine Maxwell denied bail, pleads not guilty
A federal judge denied Maxwell bail, calling her a flight risk, after she pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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Apollo board orders review of Leon Black's ties to Epstein
Apollo's board hired an outside law firm to review CEO Leon Black's payments to Epstein after reports of tens of millions in transfers.
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DOJ review finds Acosta used poor judgment in Epstein deal
The Office of Professional Responsibility concluded Acosta exercised poor judgment in resolving the federal Epstein investigation but did not commit professional misconduct.
2021
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Leon Black to step down as Apollo CEO after review finds $158 million in Epstein payments
An outside review found Black paid Epstein about $158 million for tax and estate advice; it found no involvement in Epstein's crimes, and Black said he would step down as CEO.
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Harvard sanctions professor Martin Nowak over Epstein involvement
Harvard sanctioned mathematician Martin Nowak and closed his research program after finding he gave Epstein extensive campus access in violation of university policy.
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Guards in Epstein death case reach deal sparing them jail
Federal prosecutors agreed to a deferred prosecution deal with the two guards, who admitted falsifying records but avoided prison time.
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Virginia Giuffre sues Prince Andrew in New York
Giuffre, who has spoken publicly about Epstein's abuse, filed a civil suit alleging Prince Andrew sexually abused her when she was 17; he denied the allegations.
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Barclays CEO Jes Staley steps down after regulator's Epstein probe
Staley, a former JPMorgan executive who oversaw Epstein's accounts, left Barclays after UK regulators reached preliminary conclusions about how he described his relationship with Epstein.
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Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking trial opens in Manhattan
Prosecutors told jurors Maxwell and Epstein were partners in the abuse of teenage girls as her federal trial began; her lawyers argued she was being blamed for Epstein's crimes.
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Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking for Epstein
A federal jury found Maxwell guilty on five of six counts, including sex trafficking of a minor.
2022
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Prince Andrew stripped of military titles and royal patronages
Buckingham Palace said Prince Andrew's military affiliations and royal patronages were returned to the Queen and he would stop using HRH, after a U.S. judge let Giuffre's suit proceed.
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Prince Andrew settles Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit
Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre, without admitting liability, including a donation to her charity.
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Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years in prison
Judge Alison Nathan sentenced Maxwell to 20 years for helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.
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Survivors sue JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank over Epstein ties
Women who say Epstein abused them filed proposed class actions in New York accusing JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank of enabling his sex trafficking; the banks denied wrongdoing.
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Epstein estate settles U.S. Virgin Islands lawsuit for over $105 million
The estate agreed to pay the territory more than $105 million plus proceeds from the sale of Great St. James island to resolve its civil racketeering suit.
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U.S. Virgin Islands sues JPMorgan over Epstein
The Virgin Islands accused JPMorgan of knowingly facilitating Epstein's sex trafficking by keeping him as a client for years.
2023
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Deutsche Bank agrees to pay $75 million to Epstein survivors
Deutsche Bank agreed to a $75 million settlement of a class action alleging it benefited from Epstein's sex trafficking, without admitting wrongdoing.
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JPMorgan Chase agrees to $290 million settlement with Epstein survivors
JPMorgan reached a $290 million settlement with a class of Epstein survivors who said the bank enabled his abuse, without admitting liability.
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Inspector general finds misconduct and failures at jail where Epstein died
The Justice Department's inspector general found negligence, misconduct and job failures by Bureau of Prisons staff enabled Epstein's suicide, but no evidence of foul play.
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JPMorgan settles U.S. Virgin Islands Epstein suit for $75 million
JPMorgan agreed to pay $75 million to settle the territory's lawsuit, with funds earmarked in part for anti-trafficking efforts.
2024
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Court documents naming Epstein associates unsealed
A federal judge's order led to the release of hundreds of pages from Giuffre's defamation case against Maxwell naming people connected to Epstein; being named did not imply wrongdoing.
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Appeals court upholds Ghislaine Maxwell's conviction
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Maxwell's argument that Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement shielded her from prosecution.
2025
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Justice Department's first Epstein files release yields few new revelations
Attorney General Pam Bondi's office released a first batch of Epstein-related records, much of which had already been public.
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Jes Staley loses challenge to UK ban over Epstein statements
A UK tribunal upheld the Financial Conduct Authority's finding that Staley misled regulators about his relationship with Epstein, keeping a ban on senior industry roles.
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DOJ and FBI memo says no Epstein client list exists
A Justice Department and FBI review concluded there was no evidence of a client list or blackmail scheme and affirmed Epstein died by suicide, sparking bipartisan backlash.
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Judge denies request to unseal Florida Epstein grand jury transcripts
A federal judge in Florida rejected the Justice Department's request to release transcripts from 2005-2007 grand jury proceedings, citing secrecy rules.
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Maxwell given limited immunity in interviews with deputy attorney general
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell over two days in Tallahassee under a grant of limited immunity.
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Ghislaine Maxwell moved to minimum-security prison camp in Texas
The Bureau of Prisons transferred Maxwell from a Florida prison to a lower-security camp in Bryan, Texas, days after her Justice Department interviews.
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House Oversight Committee subpoenas Epstein files and seeks Clinton depositions
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department for Epstein case files and sought depositions from Bill and Hillary Clinton and former law enforcement officials.
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Justice Department releases transcripts of Maxwell interviews
The department published transcripts and audio of Maxwell's interviews, in which she denied witnessing misconduct by prominent figures.
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House panel subpoenas Epstein estate for documents including 'birthday book'
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Epstein's estate for records including a 2003 birthday album, contact books and financial documents.
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House committee posts first batch of DOJ Epstein files
The Oversight Committee publicly released records it received from the Justice Department, though most had already been public.
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Supreme Court declines to hear Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal
The Supreme Court turned away Maxwell's argument that Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement barred her prosecution, leaving her conviction intact.
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Andrew stripped of prince title and ordered out of Royal Lodge
King Charles moved to remove his brother's remaining titles, including prince, after renewed scrutiny of his ties to Epstein; he became Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
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House Democrats release Epstein emails referencing Trump
Oversight Committee Democrats released emails from the Epstein estate referencing Donald Trump; the White House called the release a smear and Trump denied wrongdoing.
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Bondi orders federal probe of Epstein's ties to Clinton and others at Trump's urging
Attorney General Bondi assigned a federal prosecutor to investigate Epstein's ties to Bill Clinton and other figures Trump named, a move critics said could delay records releases.
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Trump signs Epstein Files Transparency Act
After near-unanimous votes in Congress, Trump signed a law requiring the Justice Department to release its Epstein files within 30 days.
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Larry Summers steps back from Harvard teaching as university reviews Epstein ties
Former Harvard president Larry Summers stopped teaching while Harvard investigated his correspondence with Epstein revealed in released emails.
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Judge allows release of abandoned Florida Epstein grand jury transcripts
Citing the new transparency law, a federal judge permitted the Justice Department to release transcripts from the 2000s federal grand jury probe in Florida.
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Justice Department begins releasing Epstein files under new law
On the law's deadline, the department began posting Epstein investigative files, with heavy redactions and only part of the material released.
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DOJ misses deadline, says completing Epstein release may take weeks
The department said it had found more than a million additional potentially relevant documents and needed more time, drawing bipartisan criticism.
2026
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Justice Department releases 3 million pages of Epstein files
The largest release yet included millions of pages, images and videos and new details about the earlier federal investigation and Epstein's contacts.
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DOJ pulls thousands of Epstein files that exposed victim information
The department said it removed thousands of documents and media that may have inadvertently revealed survivors' identities and was fixing redactions.
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Files show FBI concluded Epstein did not run trafficking ring for powerful men
Released records showed FBI investigators found evidence Epstein abused young women and girls but not that he trafficked them to other prominent men.
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Maxwell invokes Fifth Amendment before House committee, seeks clemency
Maxwell declined to answer House Oversight questions, citing her Fifth Amendment rights, while her lawyer sought clemency from Trump.
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office
British police arrested the former prince following revelations in the Epstein files about his conduct as a trade envoy; he was not charged at the time.
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Epstein estate agrees to pay up to $35 million to settle suit against his advisers
The estate agreed to resolve a class action alleging Epstein's lawyer Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn aided his trafficking; they denied wrongdoing.
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Harvard places Martin Nowak on leave amid renewed Epstein investigation
Harvard put the mathematics professor on paid administrative leave as it reopened scrutiny of his Epstein ties after the federal files release.
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Larry Summers to resign from Harvard after Epstein revelations
Summers said he would resign his Harvard professorship following disclosures about his relationship with Epstein.
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Bill Clinton questioned by House investigators about Epstein
The former president sat for a deposition in the House Oversight inquiry, saying he did nothing wrong in his association with Epstein.
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New Mexico authorities search Epstein's former Zorro Ranch
State authorities searched the ranch Epstein once owned as part of a renewed criminal investigation.
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House committee subpoenas Attorney General Bondi over Epstein files
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Bondi to testify about the Justice Department's handling and release of the Epstein files.
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Trump fires Attorney General Pam Bondi
Trump removed Bondi, whose tenure was dogged by the Epstein files controversy; Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche became acting attorney general.
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Bank of America to pay $72.5 million to Epstein survivors
A federal judge preliminarily approved Bank of America's $72.5 million settlement of claims that it enabled Epstein's sex trafficking finances.
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Justice Department inspector general audits handling of Epstein files
The department's internal watchdog launched an audit of how it handled and released Epstein-related records.
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Judge releases note Epstein's cellmate says he found after 2019 incident
A federal judge made public a note that Epstein's former cellmate said he found after Epstein's first suspected suicide attempt in jail in July 2019.
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Epstein survivors testify at congressional Democrats' hearing in West Palm Beach
Survivors spoke at a shadow hearing held by House Oversight Democrats in Palm Beach County, pressing for accountability from the Justice Department.
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UK police open inquiries into historic child abuse allegations from Epstein files
Surrey Police said they were investigating two decades-old child sexual abuse allegations identified in the U.S. Justice Department's Epstein records.
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New Mexico Epstein 'Truth Commission' issues first subpoenas
A bipartisan state commission investigating Epstein's activities in New Mexico issued 14 subpoenas at its first meeting.
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Bill Gates testifies to House panel about Epstein ties
Gates told the House Oversight Committee that Epstein tried to use knowledge of an extramarital affair to pressure him.
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Acting AG Blanche meets Epstein survivors ahead of confirmation vote
Todd Blanche, nominated as attorney general, met with Epstein accusers after a Republican senator made it a condition of his support.
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Investigation finds misconduct reports at Michigan arts school Epstein funded
An outside investigation for the Interlochen school, where Epstein was a major donor, found two former attendees reported sexual conduct by him and uncovered allegations against nearly 50 others over decades.
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New Mexico sues Justice Department claiming it blocked state Epstein probe
New Mexico sued the Justice Department and acting Attorney General Blanche, alleging they withheld records needed for its investigation.
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Judge rejects Maxwell's habeas bid to overturn conviction
Judge Paul Engelmayer rejected Maxwell's claims that new evidence warranted vacating her conviction, calling them meritless.
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Leon Black skips Epstein deposition and sues House committee
The former Apollo CEO refused to appear for a sworn deposition about his $158 million in payments to Epstein and sued to block the subpoenas.
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House holds Leon Black in contempt of Congress
The House approved a resolution holding Black in contempt for defying its Epstein subpoena, referring the matter to federal prosecutors.
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Woman pleads guilty to defrauding Epstein victims' compensation fund
A Florida woman who received $750,000 from the estate-funded Epstein Victims' Compensation Program pleaded guilty to falsifying records in her claim.
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New lawsuit seeks to block Epstein advisers from inheriting millions
Survivors sued to stop estate co-executors Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn from receiving bequests, alleging they enabled Epstein's abuse; the pair deny it.
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Judge rules police searches of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's homes unlawful
A London judge found Thames Valley Police made significant errors obtaining warrants used to search the former prince's properties in its Epstein-related inquiry.
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Seventeen Democratic attorneys general urge Congress to pass second Epstein files bill
In a letter to congressional leaders, state attorneys general backed Rep. Thomas Massie's bill requiring the Justice Department to share unredacted Epstein records with state and local prosecutors. The department says withheld files are duplicates, unrelated or privileged.
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New Mexico attorney general sues Epstein estate executors, alleging they enabled his abuse
Attorney General Raul Torrez filed a federal civil suit against co-executors Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, seeking to keep them from profiting and to direct estate assets to survivors. Both have denied involvement in Epstein's crimes.